Complete Guide to Doubles Tennis: What It Is and How It Works

Looking to understand doubles tennis better? Perhaps you watched the doubles tennis Olympic Games event, and noticed some differences. Then read on, because below we have all you need to know about the sport, including the rules, variation in strategy, and how to bet on doubles tennis. 

Doubles tennis is a variant of the sport that features slightly different rules compared to the most popular singles form of tennis. 

The most important difference is simply having two more players (four in total) on the court, with the dimensions of the court being slightly larger as well. These two pairs face off against each other in a similar fashion to singles tennis. 

The rules are mostly the same, and the core of the game plays identically to singles tennis, except for the deviations we’ll touch on below.

The basic rules for doubles tennis are rather simple. They are the same as the ones in singles tennis. To win a set, a team needs to win six games, or a tiebreak if both teams win six games apiece.

To win a match, a team needs to win two sets, though in some events there was a best-of-five format, notably Wimbledon, which was shortened to best-of-three tennis in the meantime.

The only major difference compared to singles tennis is the deciding point and the match tiebreak. Both of these are employed in most events outside of the Grand Slam level, where a slightly different set of rules applies, namely a normal final set and the usual deuce-advantage sequence.

All tennis courts are both singles and doubles courts because they feature the outlines of both the singles and doubles dimensions of the court. Doubles courts are larger by rule to allow all the players more flexibility.

A full doubles court is nine feet (almost three meters) wider compared to a singles court, while the length is generally the same. This allows all the players to fit into the court without making it too small.

As we mentioned above, there is a major scoring difference in doubles tennis compared to singles tennis, and that’s the deciding point. The regular deuce-advantage sequence is employed at the Grand Slam level, but all other events use the deciding point.

It’s a single winner-takes-all point coming when the score becomes 40-40 (a deuce). As for games and sets, the same rules apply. First to six wins the set. First to two sets wins the match. If the score is 6-6, it’s a tiebreak, which is the same as in singles.

If it’s a match outside of the Grand Slam level, then the final set is a match tiebreak to 10 points or beyond if need be.

The serving rules are the same as in singles, with the only difference being the rotation of players when it comes to who serves. Players alternate between games, so Player A will serve, and then Player B will serve, and so on.

The ball still needs to be hit in the same quadrant on the court as with singles tennis, so that’s the same.

Tennis enthusiasts will also be interested in our article on the greatest servers in tennis history.

Communication between players in doubles tennis is often very verbal. It’s not uncommon to see players shouting or telling their partner where to go or to take a ball if there is some confusion.

Generally, the best teams have developed excellent chemistry, so there doesn’t need to be much communication. Speaking during a point is allowed, however, and wouldn’t result in a call of hindrance unless it was excessively loud.

When it comes to position, it depends on the teams. On first serves, both players generally stay on the baseline, while on the second serve, the player closer to the net moves further up the net.

Most tactics eventually come down to players getting closer to the net to shorten the points, though that depends on the player and team.

This is also something that has changed over time. Some players prefer to be rather aggressive, while others opt for more finesse plays such as lobs. However, the meta trends towards keeping the rallies short.

Those who watched the women’s doubles tennis Olympic Games recently will have seen that the female game generally takes a more aggressive approach than the men’s. When it comes to the offensive part of the tactics, it’s usually based on a massive serve, as most doubles teams nowadays possess two very strong serves.

With a good first serve, winning the point becomes much easier, so that’s the best tactic when it comes to attack.

Doubles tennis requires really sharp instincts because much of it comes down to quick reactions. You’re closer to the net, and reaction time is crucial. The serve is generally a very important part, so improving that matters.

Likewise, returning is rather crucial because the margins for winning a match are small, so a good return can be massively important. And finally, volleying is where the money is made. Without good volleying, playing doubles tennis will be very hard.

Betting on doubles tennis is generally very tricky because the best teams are so good that the smallest margins essentially determine whether a team will win. Sometimes it might just come down to a lucky return or simply how good of a serving day a team has.

Some surfaces are better for betting on doubles, such as clay, because they allow good teams to separate themselves from the weaker ones. But generally, betting on it is considered much harder because there is much more variance, and upsets are not that uncommon.

So, if you’re thinking of putting in a bet, your best bet is to go with the underdog!

Much like singles, doubles also have a ranking system of their own, updated weekly, just like the singles tennis ranking. The top players right now are Mate Pavić and Marcelo Arévalo, who have had a massive year, winning several big events.

Both have been in tennis for a long time, as have other prominent, highly ranked players such as Marcel Granollers, Horacio Zeballos, and others.

Doubles tennis is an integral part of the sport, as all singles events also feature doubles tennis. It doesn’t matter if it’s an ITF event, an ATP event, or even doubles tennis at the Olympic Games.

All these events include doubles tennis, though obviously, some are more important than others. Doubles tennis Olympic Games is one of the most prestigious events for doubles players, especially with the national flavor added to it. Those with their names etched in the tennis medals in the Summer Olympic Games – doubles list go down in history.

Similarly to the singles tour, the most important doubles tournaments of the year are the Grand Slams. Those are the most prestigious events that a doubles player can win, but they aren’t the only ones.

Winning the doubles gold medal is also arguably one of the most prestigious accomplishments because it only comes around every four years. Other events are important as well, most notably the Masters events and the ATP Finals and WTA Finals for both men and women.

The 2024 doubles season was pretty exciting, with quite a few notable results. The Australian Open was won by Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden. Roland Garros was won by Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavić, while Wimbledon was won by Henri Patten and Harry Heliövaara. The US Open was won by Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell.

On the women’s side of things, Su-Wei Hsieh and Elise Mertens won the Australian Open. The French Open was won by Coco Gauff and Katerina Siniaková. Siniaková and Towensen won Wimbledon, while Kichenko and Ostapenko won the US Open.

Overall, doubles tennis has been and remains a fundamental part of the tennis world. It might not be as popular as singles, but it has its place in the world. It’s a pretty exciting, different take on a very popular global sport that has many fans.

It’s fun to watch; there are lots of twists and turns, and rule innovations, such as the deciding point, give it a certain element of drama that singles tennis can’t really replicate similarly.

The only negative is that many of the best players stay away from playing it, which hurts its popularity and marketability. But for the time being, it’s not going anywhere, so all those who enjoy doubles tennis can rest assured that we’re going to have it for a little longer.